The report says has not yet selected a tournament period. A summer World Cup in Saudi Arabia would raise familiar concerns over extreme heat, just as Qatar 2022 forced football to abandon its usual June-July schedule.
A winter alternative brings its own complications. Ramadan could overlap with the traditional November-December window, potentially pushing matches into the evening to respect local routines. That may be workable, but it would still require careful planning around player welfare, broadcasting and supporter travel.
January and February are reportedly complicated by the Winter Olympics, while the Hajj would create another immovable pressure point later in the season. A window between Christmas and the pilgrimage could be possible, but it would leave little room for a tournament involving 48 teams.
The disruption would spread far beyond Saudi Arabia. Domestic leagues, continental competitions and club schedules across Europe and elsewhere would all need adjustment. Clubs already wary of international-calendar expansion could resist another major interruption, particularly if the final decision arrives late.
Infantino has acknowledged the wider challenge, saying: “Talvez existam formas de otimizar o calendário, mas estamos discutindo e veremos quando chegarmos a conclusões.” His call for flexibility reflects ’s global ambitions, but it also exposes the political sensitivity of the decision.
The issue is not simply where to place the matches. must balance the host country’s religious calendar with the expectations of leagues, clubs, broadcasters and supporters, while criticism of Saudi Arabia’s human-rights record will remain part of the wider conversation.
For now, a move to 2035 is a possibility rather than a confirmed plan. The next decisive stage will be ’s consultation with football’s governing bodies, domestic competitions and Saudi organisers. Until then, the calendar for the tournament remains one of the defining unresolved questions surrounding the next World Cup cycle.